battle beyond the stars (retro), Dir. Jimmy T. Murakami

A young farmer (Richard Thomas) sets out to recruit mercenaries to defend his peaceful planet, which is under threat of invasion by the evil tyrant Sador (John Saxon) and his armada of aggressors. Among the mercenaries are a Space Cowboy (George Peppard), a spacegoing truck driver from Earth (Morgan Woodward); Gelt, a wealthy but experienced assassin looking for a place to hide (Robert Vaughn); and Saint-Exmin, a Valkyrie warrior looking to prove herself in battle (Sybil Danning). The film was legendarily pitched as ‘Magnificent Seven in Space.' Produced by Roger Corman in the wake of the Star Wars cash-grab phenomena, the film also features one of the first scores from James Horner, and the below the line talents of Gale Ann Hurd and James Cameron.

Defender of the Universe, Sybil Danning -- In addition to Battle Beyond the Stars, Austrian-born actress and model Sybil Danning starred in a number of classic ‘B movies’ such as Hercules, Howling II, Jungle Warriors, Malibu Express, Chained Heat, Reform School Girls, Amazon Women on the Moon. She appeared on television in Simon & Simon, The Fall Guy and V (The TV Series). More recently she appeared in Tarantino’s Grindhouse, in Rob Zombie’s Werewolf Women of the SS segment and Rob Zombie’s Halloween.